Buster Tries to Bail: When You Are Stressed

Buster loves racing, but the more he thinks about the upcoming competition at the county fair for who will be the fastest animal in Mulberry meadow, the more stressed he gets. No matter how hard he trains, he can’t eat or sleep, and eventually he decides he wants to quit running. Buster’s parents talk with him about quieting the noise in his head so he can listen to Jesus instead of all his worries. Parents and children will learn concrete, grace-based ways to deal with stress. Based on David Powlison’s minibook Stressed Out and edited by Nan Powlison, Buster Tries to Bail ends with a special section that guides parents in teaching their children to respond with faith when worries take hold in their hearts. Buster Tries to Bail is part of the Good News for Little Hearts series, bringing gospel help and biblical counsel to families. Based on CCEF’s model of hope and help, each story focuses on an animal family’s real-life issues, encouraging young readers toward a growing relationship with Jesus in the midst of challenging circumstances. Each individual story guides parents toward meaningful conversations with their kids, based on what Scripture has to say about living by faith in everyday life. By providing biblical help and hope to issues every child faces through vivid illustrations and a story based on a different animal family, even the youngest child will be engaged. Each story offers practical ways to follow Jesus in difficult situations. Instead of a moralistic message, young readers are encouraged to develop a real relationship with the God who cares for them. Buster Tries to Bail, along with all of the_Good News for Little Hearts_books, will become a lifelong gift for parents and children, as well as teachers, biblical counselors, and anyone hoping to provide concrete, grace-based help for young children._Buster Tries to Bail_is illustrated by Joe Hox and edited by Nan Powlison.

Publisher: New Growth Press
Type: Hardback
ISBN: 9781645070788

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David Powlison, MDiv, PhD, (1949–2019) was a teacher, counselor, and the executive director of the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He wrote many books and minibooks, including_Speaking Truth in Love;_Seeing with New Eyes;_The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context;_Good and Angry: Redeeming Anger, Irritation, Complaining, and Bitterness;_Making All Things New: Restoring Joy to the Sexually Broken;_God's Grace in Your Suffering; and Safe and Sound. David was also the editor of_The Journal of Biblical Counseling and several of the Good News for Little Hearts children’s books. Nan Powlison loves to write and illustrate children's books for her friends and seven grandchildren. Nan worked with her husband David to edit three previous books in the Good News for Little Hearts series—Zoe's Hiding Place, Jax's Tail Twitches, and Gus Loses His Grip.

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“I sat on the porch with another Christian mom and our three children and we read aloud Buster Tries to Bail, Caspian Crashes the Party, and Halle takes a Stand. What a balm to our hearts and souls these books were! The children all identified with the heart issues presented: dealing with stress, jealousy, and peer pressure. The characters – represented by delightfully illustrated animals – revealed how important children are, both to the Lord and to the world around them. A child applying faith to a real-life challenge holds the power and influence to change the world. The adult characters modeled how a parent could handle a difficult, embarrassing, and discouraging situation while applying the Bible as light to all of our steps. Indeed, and this is one of the more brilliant aspects of these books, these books show by example a hermeneutic of Biblical application that is faithful but not wooden, and powerful but not for grown-ups only. And the teaching tools in the back – questions and answers for parents and cut-out Bible verses for children – make these books hands-on treasures. I love these books and will be buying many copies for the children in my life!” Rosaria Butterfield is married to Rev. Kent Butterfield, pastor of First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Durham, NC. She is a homeschooling mother and writer.